Friday, October 26, 2012

42
Firearms – 42 firearms were discovered this week in carry-on bags at
TSA checkpoints. 38 of the 42 were loaded and 12 firearms actually had a round
in the chamber.See below for a complete list and photos
of some of the firearms.

Throwing
Star – A throwing star was discovered via a pat down when an
Atlantic City (ACY) passenger going through a body scanner alarmed.

Throwing Star Discovered With Body Scanner at ACY

Concealed
Firearm – An unloaded .38 caliber was detected at Indianapolis (IND)
concealed in the lining of the bag.

Syringe That Stuck Officer in TUS

TSA
Officer Stuck With Syringe – An Officer at Tucson (TUS) was stuck by a
syringe while searching a bag. This is one of the reasons our officers ask if
you have anything sharp or dangerous in your bags before they search them. For
the safety of our Officers, please be sure to be mindful of any sharp or
dangerous items in your bags.

Inert Grenades Etc. –
We continue to find inerthand grenades and
other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if an itemlooks like a realistic bomb, grenade, mine, etc.,
it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint or
in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays. I know they are cool
novelty items, but it is best not to take them on a plane. Read here
and here on
why inert items cause problems.

Replica grenades were
discovered in two separate golf bags at Charleston (CHS) after they both
alarmed in checked baggage.

Two replica grenades
were discovered at Richmond (RIC).

A grenade lighter was
discovered in a carry-on bag at Seattle (SEA).

High Explosives? Pun
intended. You see, not only was a novelty grenade discovered at Denver (DEN),
it was a novelty grenade with a green leafy substance contained within. We’re
not looking for drugs, but you can guarantee the odds are in our favor of
finding them if they’re stuffed in a grenade.

What Not to Say at an
Airport – Statements like these not only delay the people who
said them but can also inconvenience manyother
passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:

After his request to
have his checked bags removed from the aircraft was denied, a passenger became
upset and stated that “the airline did not know if he had a bomb in his bag.”

A passenger at Las
Vegas (LAS) became upset while his son’s bag was being searched and stated:
“There is a bomb in there.”

A Federal Air Marshal
overheard a passenger at Washington Reagan (DCA) telling another passenger to
watch his bag because it had a bomb in it.

A passenger overheard
another passenger at Denver (DEN) state: “I hope you are not on the plane
leaving at Gate A-37, it’s going to go off with a blast.”

Unfortunately these
sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these
finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but
at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed
down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or
in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave
these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual
does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer
to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.